Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-02-04
A STRANGE RACE.
Outlaws Dwelling on the Bor-
ders Of the Bennewater
Lakes.
Their Origin UnknOwn-Queer Habits and
Customs-scenes at Their Mid
night Orgies.

as the "Bennewaters, the largest being
about one mile long and three-quarters
of mile broad. The scenery is of a
wild and romantic character, and, as
the lakes are we'll stocked with fish, it
has long been a favorite resort of ang-
lers as well as tourists. For between
one and two hundred years curious
tribe of people has dwelt upon the bor-
ders of the lakes Though they possess
certain patronymcs they are not known
by them, but are described under the
general term of the "Bennewaters. -
No prescribed caste in India was ever
more thoroughly set apart from its fell
lows than are these people. Whence
or why they came has often been made
matter of surprise, but has never al
vanced beyond speculation. In APP
pearance they convey the impression of
being descended from the red man, hav-
ing in the majority of cases the high
cheek bones. black hair and swarthy
skin which are characteristic of his
race. They are, moreover. never met
in groups abreast. but always walk in
Indian file and in this order may be
met any day walking to and from their
homes to Kingston. As opposed to
this theory, however, it may be men
toned that in no case do their names
betray Indian origin. They have been
so long isolated that. though they UNI
doubleday possess certain points Of re-
semblance IN common. they would
hardly be claimed even rs remote kin
dred to any known tribe of Indians.
In some respects they more nearly re-
semble the gypsies, though they are
not so nomadic and many incline 10
the belief that they are descendants of
some foreign gypsy tribe.
TOO LAZY TO WORK
Like Ind ans and gypsies they show a
deep-rooted and inerad cable distase for
active labor, and it is probable that the
comparative ease with which life can be
sustained in the neighborhood of good
fishing ground first attracted them to
the Bennewater Lakes. They never ac-
quire property, and possess no animals
except certain wolfsh-looking dogs. 1t
is rare to see n "Bennewater" unat-
tended bv one of these ill-fed and hun
grv-looSjng beasts. Unlike the Indians
they have no taste for fighting. and
during the late war were notorious
bounty jumpers. deserving almost
without exception rs soon as they re-
ceived the bounty. This region and the
Shawangunk Mountains became in con-
sequence i yeritable city of refuge for
deserters and other criminals. and raids
were perpetuallv made at that time by
the authorities on the "Bennewaters,
who. it was well known, freely offered
sanctuary TO all offenders against the
law, even when not of their race. 1t
will be remembered that on the occa-
sion of the abduct on Of Charley Ross,
in consequence of its being believed
that he had been taken across the river
at Rondout at midnight in small boat,
the whole district of the Bennewater
Lakes was submitted to a thorough
search by Pinkerton's detectives. in the
belief that the stolen child would be
found secreted with these people. AL
though the search, so far as Charley
Ross was concerned. proved fruitless,
licences which led 10 the elucidation
of other mysterious crimes were discov-
cred.
FOND OF DRINKING.
Though not communicative to stran-
gers, they are not surly. neither are
they quarrelsome, except when they
yield to their craving for drink. In
summer they devote themselves to ber-
~ gathering and the supplying of bait
to the anglers who visit the lakes.
Their knowledge of the arts and in
dustries is extremely mited, being con-
fined to the making of coarse baskets
and mats of straw and corn-husks,
which they peddle in this city and the
neighborhood with an importantly that
is only equaled by their persstency in
begging. Certain rude attempts are
occasionally made at wood carving,
but these are generally the results of
instructions received during residence
in penitentiaries. These visits are by
no means infreqnent, but are rarely
for crimes of serious nature. A
weakness for petty larceny clings to
the Bennewaters for life. When by
chance any one of them meets with an
unusual amount of good fortune he is
not backwards in sharing the fruits of
it with his fellows? On fine evenings,
when these occasions happen, the whole
fraternity gathers ont of doors round
a large bonfire when over feast of
roasted corn and stolen chickens,
washed down by liberal rotations OF the
rawest whisky, they present in the ear
ly hours, with the eflecting setting of a
dark background of woods and hills
and the glow of the flaming fire re-
flected in the lake, highly pictur-